As previously pointed out there is an increasing awareness of the need to conserve the dry land soil resource existing in many parts of the country. Cultivators have in many cases been adapted to serve as a seeding machine but there has been a lack of depth control and sufficient packing of soil around the seed. With the advent of minimum or zero tillage for seed bed preparation to minimize the cost of production new implements such as applicants apparatus have been devised. Problems to overcome were the heavy previous crop residue and difficult precise penetration of the unworked soil.
Several attempts have been made to overcome the problems of proper seed and fertilizer deposition under the above adverse conditions. The most closely related attempts known to applicant are described in Canadian Patent 1,239,835 to Halford and U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,361 to Morrison and U.S. Pat. No. 2,981,213 to O'Neil.
In patent "835" there is disclosed a first dispensing means rigidly fixed to an implement frame, a second dispensing means pivotally mounted relative to the frame and an adjustment or biasing means connected between the frame and the second pivotal dispensing means mounting. In contrast applicants device has a first dispensing means pivotally mounted on an elongate body member and a second dispensing means fixed to the elongate body member with an adjustable gauge packer wheel fixed to the second dispensing means.
In patent "361" there is disclosed a first dispensing means fixed to a first tool bar of the frame with a trip release mechanism provided on the shank of the tool. The second dispensing means includes a floating assembly fixed to a second tool bar with a trench forming wheel in front and a press wheel in the rear with the seed tube vertically moveable relative to its mounting tool bar. In contast applicants device has a first dispensing means which is pivotally mounted on an elongate body member which is pivotally mounted on the frame. A second dispensing means is fixed to the elongate body member and has fixed thereto an adjustable gauge press wheel.
In patent "213" there is disclosed a first dispensing means having a furrow opener disc where depth is controlled by a gauge wheel both being mounted on the same pivotal arm. A second dispensing means is taught that has a pivoting furrow opener with attached seed tube. In contrast applicants first dispensing means has a knife furrow opener pivotally attached to an arm or elongate body member that is pivotally attached to the frame. The second dispensing means also has a knife furrow opener and is rigidly fixed to the same arm or elongate body member as the first dispensing means.